Minutes after Hampus Lindholm was traded to the Boston Bruins, Pierre LeBrun and other insiders were all over the news that Claude Giroux was headed to the Florida Panthers. Reports on Twitter was: “Trade call hasn’t happened yet, but hearing the Florida Panthers are finalizing a deal for Claude Giroux from the Philadelphia Flyers.”
Related: Ducks Trade Hampus Lindholm to the Boston Bruins
TSN is reporting that the trade includes Owen Tippett, a 2024 1st round pick, and 2023 3rd round pick for Claude Giroux. Elliotte Friedman adds that Connor Bunnaman is going to Florida with Giroux, a fourth-round pick by the Flyers in 2016.
Emily Kaplan adds, “I’m told Panthers package was “aggressive, not as aggressive as Boston or Colorado.” Giroux’s arrival gives Barkov an elite player to play with, and one of the top face-off guys in the league.” However, Frank Seravalli is reporting that his sources say the Flyers never engaged in talks with any other team except the Panthers.
Earlier in the day on Saturday Kevin Weekes had reported that Florida upped their offer to the Flyers for Giroux but the two sides weren’t quite there. Clearly, over the few hours since his tweet, Philly and Florida worked things out. Giroux also had a full no-trade clause as part of the deal and that likely played a role in the return the Flyers were able to get in this trade.
The long-time Flyer played his 1000th game with the team this week and that was the catalyst for the Flyers to finalize a deal with another team prior to the deadline. Philadelphia is selling and retooling and giving Giroux an opportunity to win by going to a Stanley Cup contender who also added defensemen Ben Chiarot in an earlier deadline trade.
Giroux has scored 18 goals and posted 24 assists in 57 games this season for the Flyers. He was the star of this year’s All-Star Game and his joining the Panthers makes them a real contender to win it all.
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